Reason
by Sweet Cari
Summary: Sometimes, when dreams do come true, it is the outcome, not the journey to reach that dream, that really makes a difference. Oneshot. Set around the 02 epilogue.


Disclaimer: Digimon does not belong to me.

**Reason**

_Twenty-five years later, everyone all over the world has become Digidestined with their own Digimon._

Kari paused at the thought but continued walking on her way home from work.

Looking around, taking a shortcut through a nearby park, she saw many happy faces of children just her son's age happily playing with their digital companions.

She smiled, remembering the illusion MaloMyotismon tried to trap her in by preying on her deepest desire: A Digimon for every non-Digidestined.

Now, her dream has become a reality.

Suddenly, Kari turned around and saw a group of boys ganging up on a Salamon, surrounding her and ignoring the little creature's plea to stop as they kicked her around like a soccer ball.

The scene reminded Kari of how Gatomon told her stories of how she was beaten as a Salamon, when she fell into the darkness of Myotismon's evil. Silently furious, the brunette woman ran at the boys, but one of them saw her coming and the group quickly dispersed before Kari could approach them.

Glaring at the fleeing children, Kari averted her gaze upon the injured Salamon.

"Are you okay?"

"T-thank you…" the puppy Digimon whispered, but she was too weak and hurt to even look up at the human woman who had intervened.

"Where is your human partner?" The Bearer of Light asked, "Is he or she out here?"

Salamon sighed, "My human partner didn't want me. He complained about not getting a cooler Digimon, and didn't even acknowledge that his digivice worked only for me and me alone. So, he abandoned me here."

Kari was horrified, "Didn't his parents do anything about it?"

"To his parents, I was just an annoyance, a pet that constantly needed feeding and attention."

Overwhelmed with pity, Kari gently lifted the injured Salamon from off the ground, wrapping her arms carefully supporting the tiny rookie.

_Why would anyone do something so cruel?_

"I'll take you home with me," Kari said, "I can call my friend Joe to help me nurse you back to health, and once you're well again, I'll return you to the Digital World."

She noticed that Salamon cringed when she said, 'the Digital World' but gave it little thought.

_I wonder why she seemed scared. The Digital World is finally at peace, Myotismon has finally been destroyed and Oikawa made amends for his errors by giving up his own life to restore balance to both worlds._

At last, Kari had finally made it home, and was greeted by her Digimon, Gatomon.

"Welcome home, Kari," said the white feline happily, "Who's the little stowaway in your arms?"

Just as the Bearer of Light was about to explain, her son burst into the room.

"Mom!" he cried, "There's an e-mail for you sent by Uncle Tai! It was written down as urgent!"

With the Salamon still in tow, Kari raced to the computer room, followed by her son and Digimon, clicked on the e-mail, her eyes scanning every word in the message. Immediately, she pulled her pink D-3 out of her pocket and pointed it at the screen.

Before she left, she entrusted the injured Salamon in her Digimon's care, and she turned to her child saying,

"Stay with Gatomon, okay? I won't be gone long."

The boy nodded and watched as his mother vanished into the computer screen in a beam of light.

….

When Kari arrived, she saw that the Digidestined, old and new, were all huddled together in a circle, their eyes filled with confusion and worry, with Tai standing over the group.

"Glad you made it, Sis," said Tai, watching her sit in between T.K. and Davis, "Now that everyone's here, there are things that we need discuss about."

"What's there to discuss?" Davis asked.

The former leader sighed, "Remember how those dark spore kids received their own Digimon?"

"Yeah!" Davis exclaimed, beaming with pride, "If it wasn't for me to encourage them about pursuing their dreams, we would have never beaten MaloMyotismon!"

"That's just the problem, Davis!" Tai snapped, "Sure, we were able to defeat Myotismon for good that time but things have changed. People have begun misusing and abusing their Digimon partners…and now, the remaining Digimon here are planning a revolt for revenge for what the humans have done to them."

"Can't we just send the unwanted Digimon back if their humans only want to hurt them?" protested Davis, "I mean, if we did it before, we can do it again!"

"But everybody's a Digidestined now, Davis!" stated Ken, "They could just open a Digiport and get them back!"

Tai sighed tiredly, "As diplomat of the Digital World, I have spoken to Gennai about the revolt and he told me that because the Real World was changing, so was the DigiWorld, so with the excess amount of people being Digidestined, it has…_warped_…the balance."

The Bearer of Courage then motioned the others to follow.

What they saw shocked them. The Digital World looked dead. The terrain had become a gray and barren wasteland just like it did when the Dark Masters ruled the place.

Kari's eyes widened with disbelief, no wonder Salamon wasn't happy about returning home, for it was no longer a place to call home.

"So, what do you suppose we should do about it?" questioned Matt.

"Nothing." Tai answered, "Gennai said that he would speak to the other Gennais and see what they can do."

The adult Digidestined then turned to return back to their world, but Kari stayed behind with her brother.

"Tai, is there something all of us could do?"

"Kari," her brothers started, "there are some things that are beyond our control. No amount of crest power can repair to the way it was before…"

"What about Oikawa?" she persisted, "He restored the Digital World, so why is it-"

"Oikawa's spirit did take care of the DigiWorld for awhile," Tai explained, "But the imbalance caused his spirit to weaken."

She stared out onto the bleak horizon. At a time, it was almost like a Neverland, touched only by the innocence of a child but the years had caused that poisoned the innocence as well as the magic. The greed of man had destroyed its beauty, while the cruelty destroyed the inhabitants feeding the darkness the Digidestined had fought so hard to vanquish.

This was the reason why Kari, her brother, and the others were chosen as Digidestined.

They alone could preserve the Digital World from other worlds that could corrupt it, the Real World being one of them.

Warm tears started flowing down her face. Now she knew the consequences of her dream.

Though her dream had become a reality, it came with a bitter price.

-The End.


End file.
